Twenty months after researchers tagged him off the Georgia–Florida coast, Contender, the largest male white shark OCEARCH has ever tagged in the western North Atlantic, is still reporting his position. This September his tag placed him somewhere no similarly tagged shark has been seen before, off the coast of Newfoundland.
How Contender Was Tagged
On January 17, 2025, the research group OCEARCH hauled a male white shark onto its lift platform about 45 miles off the coast where Georgia meets Florida. He measured 13.8 feet and weighed an estimated 1,653 pounds. The team named him Contender, in honor of OCEARCH partner Contender Boats, as Yahoo News reported, and called him a “true ocean giant.” According to OCEARCH, he is the largest male white shark it has ever tagged in the western North Atlantic.
Why a Male This Size Stands Out
In white sharks, females are the giants. They can grow well past 15 feet, while most adult males stay around 11 to 13 feet, according to the Smithsonian figures cited by WPRI. Males are also thought to mature late: OCEARCH’s lead veterinarian, Harley Newton, has said they mature at around 26 years old and roughly 11.5 feet. A male of nearly 14 feet is therefore very likely decades old, and researchers estimate Contender to be about 32 years old, Fox News reported.
That made the few minutes Contender spent on the platform valuable. The team took biological samples to study his reproduction, his health and his exposure to toxins. Mature males this large are rarely handled, so each sample adds to a very small dataset.
How the Tag Works
OCEARCH also fitted him with a SPOT satellite tag on his dorsal fin. It sends a position whenever the fin breaks the surface long enough to reach a satellite, and it is designed to keep working for about five years. Days or weeks can pass between pings.
Twenty Months on the Map
Contender’s track reads like a tour of the Atlantic coast:
- February 2025: About three weeks after tagging, he had swum roughly 168 miles and was off St. Augustine, Florida.
- Summer 2025: He pinged near Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in June, and off Massachusetts in July, including off Nantucket on July 17 and 18.
- Fall 2025: He reached Quebec’s north shore at the end of September, then pinged several times off Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, in late October. CTV News reported that he had also been recorded in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence, off Newfoundland and Labrador, about 73 days after leaving Cape Cod.
- November 2025: He was back south, off Atlantic City, New Jersey.
- Summer 2026: He pinged off North Carolina and then headed north again.
The September 2026 Surprise
In September 2026, Newfoundland broadcaster VOCM reported that Contender had moved through Notre Dame Bay, rounded the Great Northern Peninsula and pinged off the Horse Islands in White Bay. According to Fox Weather, OCEARCH said he was taking researchers somewhere they had not seen another tagged white shark go. Why a large male would push that far north is one of the questions the tag may help answer.
Following Contender Online
Contender and other tagged animals can be tracked in near real time using the free OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker app, Fox Weather notes.
Why One Shark Matters to the Whole Population
White sharks in the western North Atlantic are recovering after decades of decline, and scientists are still working out where they feed, mate and give birth. Contender is one of more than 100 white sharks OCEARCH has tagged in the region, which the group describes as the largest dataset of its kind in the world.
His long stays off Canada fit a wider pattern. Fox Weather cites a 2025 OCEARCH press release saying 88% of white sharks tagged in the U.S. Southeast have journeyed to Atlantic Canada, and Newton has called the region critical for understanding the species’ summer and fall residency. Knowing where adults gather, and when, helps managers decide where protection matters most.
Large predators also shape the ecosystems they live in. White sharks feed on seals, large fish and carcasses, and their presence changes where prey animals spend their time. Losing them would ripple through the food web in ways that are hard to predict.
For now, Contender keeps adding data one ping at a time. Each time his fin breaks the surface, scientists learn a little more about how a mature male white shark spends his year.
For Shark and Ocean Fans
- Ocean conservation donations. Support marine research and shark protection groups.
- Shark documentaries and books. Great ways to learn more about white sharks and marine biology.
- Binoculars and waterproof phone cases. Handy for coastal trips and whale- or wildlife-watching.
- Marine biology kits and shark plush toys. Fun gifts for young ocean lovers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Contender? Contender is a male white shark tagged by OCEARCH on January 17, 2025, about 45 miles off the Georgia–Florida coast. He measured 13.8 feet and weighed an estimated 1,653 pounds.
Why is he special? He is the largest male white shark OCEARCH has tagged in the western North Atlantic, and male white sharks are usually smaller than females.
Where has he been? His tag has placed him off Florida, the Carolinas, New England, Atlantic Canada and New Jersey. In September 2026 he reached waters off Newfoundland that no similarly tagged shark had visited.
How long will the tag work? It is designed to keep reporting for about five years.
Can people follow him? Yes. The free OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker app shows his latest pings.
Sources: OCEARCH, Fox Weather, CTV News, Fox News, WPRI, Yahoo News, and VOCM, all covering the January 2025 tagging of Contender, the largest male white shark OCEARCH has tagged in the western North Atlantic, and his movements through September 2026.
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